Hello, and welcome back to Storm-doesn't-know-how-to-do-personalities!
If you watch Xisuma, I'm so sorry because I'm CERTAIN I messed up his personality. SORRY!
More Hermits! Let's GOOOOOOOOOOOO-
WC: ~750
Enjoy!
Xisuma brought the boat up close to the shore, and he and Grian got out. Xisuma was tempted to ask the Watcher what was wrong, again, but fought it back. He has no reason to tell you. And that's fine.
"This is the area we plan to turn into our Shopping District," Xisuma explained, breaking and collecting the boat. "Right now, there won't be too many Hermits around. But this place will be bustling soon!" Grian seemed to perk up.
"Shopping? Like... I can help?" his voice was curious.
"Erm, yes," Xisuma chose each word carefully. "You can gather resources and sell them to other players." Grian nodded along.
"Nice. Xisuma, can I ask you a question?" Xisuma blinked at the sudden request, then nodded.
"How do you plan to get me back to the End?" Grian asked, his expression calm. "I'm not stupid. I don't belong here." Xisuma winced.
"I- well," the Admin mumbled, trying to find the best way to answer the question.
"I mean, I can't just go back the way I came," Grian continued. "We don't know how I got here. I suppose I could just go to the End, stand on an obsidian pillar, and just scream at them to come and get me." Grian's face looked like he was actually considering the idea.
"Well," Xisuma felt like he was dragging his voice through quicksand. Why? "It takes a while to get all the way to the End. But why do you want to go back." Grian looked him in the eye, or at least the best he could with Xisuma's helmet.
"I don't," Grian said clearly, then turned away. "But we came here to meet more people. Let's do that!" Xisuma wanted to ask more, but the Watcher was clearly done with the conversation.
"Hey X!" A familiar voice rung through the silence. "I hope you're not planning to take this plot, it's min- oh." Iskall's voice dripped with realization. Xisuma guessed he had probably seen Grian. The Watcher shuffled nervously, probably coming to the same conclusion. Iskall walked over, pointedly not looking at Grian.
"Heh, the plot is all yours, Iskall," Xisuma said with a nervous chuckle. "I don't want it." Iskall nodded, still not looking at Grian.
"X, can I talk to you? Alone?" The emphasis on the last word made Xisuma flinch.
"Yes," That wasn't Xisuma, it was Grian. Iskall and Xisuma's heads turned to Grian, who held his up high. "I'll just... go for a bit." Grian gave them a small nod of respect and walked off.
"Are you seriously going to let him stay?" Iskall asked when Grian was outside of hearing range.
"I..." Xisuma trailed off, then realized why he was feeling this way.
Guilt.
He felt bad for having to send the Watcher back, because he knew what they would do to you if they got a hold of you.
Don't think about it.
"Xisuma," Iskall's voice was clear, and the shorter man placed a hand on the Admin's shoulder. "We trust you to make the right decision. But this... this is a different matter. He's a Watcher, Xisuma. Watchers are something else. He can't stay."
"But he can't go back either," Xisuma didn't mean to say the words out loud, but once they were out, he didn't take them back. Iskall raised an eyebrow.
"Why not? Because we don't know how?" Xisuma shook his head.
"I just... I feel bad," Xisuma mumbled. "The Watchers will never let him go. He'll become just like them. He has potential. Lots of it. He can build, Iskall. What if we... let him stay?" The words were hopeful, but Iskall's expression made Xisuma's heart sink to his stomach.
"The Hermits won't accept him," Iskall pointed out. "X, I don't think I'll accept him." Xisuma winced at the confession.
"I know Watchers are bad," Xisuma tried. "But... you know what I can do, right?" Iskall stiffened.
"Did you-"
"I took a reading," Xisuma's voice was hushed. "Iskall, I've never seen a reading like that. He's so pure... he feels like he would be willing to sacrifice himself for people he had just met. The light inside of him, it's unignorable. I feel like he can be trusted." A sharp inhale from Iskall.
"Are you sure?" the Swede asked. Xisuma nodded, his expression not faltering. Iskall took a breath, then extended a hand to Xisuma.
"I'll trust him if you do," Iskall promised, ever loyal. But Xisuma pushed Iskall's hand down.
"Don't shake my hand," Xisuma instructed, to Iskall's confusion.
"Shake his."
Grian-Iskall friendship? COMING SOON! You already know I write at a (decently) fast pace, you won't have to wait (too) long!
-Storm